


Unpacked Hearts

by Airen_Thiren



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A different take on a Songfic, Drabbles, F/M, Harmony - Freeform, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Phillip Phillips - Unpack Your Heart, So Fluffy your flesh will become cotton candy, Song fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:28:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24549169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Airen_Thiren/pseuds/Airen_Thiren
Summary: Follow along as Harry and Hermione grow closer together throughout their lives. This will be an anthology of drabbles/oneshots related to the lyrics of Unpack Your Heart by Phillip Phillips. Set in the same universe, these short writings will relate to different lines or parts of the song, eventually culminating in a series of scenes following the lyrics.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	1. Meet Me Where The Sunlight Ends

**Astronomy Tower, 7th (8th) year  
**

It hadn't been a good year so far for Hermione Granger, Head Girl and credited with being the brightest witch of her age. Oh, there were some good things to happen to her, like her best friend no longer being in danger, her return to school, and the peace that was gaining ground throughout the country. Still, not everything was going as she had hoped.

Her relationship with her other friend, Ron Weasley, hadn't worked out like either of them had hoped. She would be eternally grateful that the one date they did go on happened to coincide with a rare moment of maturity from her ginger-haired friend. It was he who first voiced that perhaps they should remain as friends. Hermione was quick to agree, and it would be story they would tell with a laugh for years to come. But that peace quickly morphed into a despondency in the witch as she watched her classmates left and right dating, breaking up, dating some more, and falling in love. And here she stood, alone, with nothing but her books and her best friend. 

It surprised everyone when Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley refused to resume their fledgling relationship after the Battle, at first. But as time moved on, everyone remembered one crucial thing about war: it changes people. Ginny had become her own hero now, and with that assertion over her own destiny, her image of the Boy Who Lived had fallen away. She still admired Harry's selflessness and heroism, but now she also saw his flaws. Harry too saw Ginny in a new light. The more he looked at her, the more he saw her blazing passion, her fierce independence, and her determination to leave her mark on the world. That wasn't what Harry wanted. He wanted anonymity. A slow, quiet life among people who knew him for none of his heroics and all of _himself_. Hermione tried to ignore the little tuck in her gut when Harry told her that. She tried to ignore the voice in her head screaming that she saw him that way.

Try as she might, Hermione could no longer deny the fact that she had fallen irrevocably in love with Harry Potter. They had been through school and war together and in that time, Hermione came to see so many aspects of Harry that pulled her in more and more. From his almost instinctual actions of helping where he could, to the little glimpses of a razor wit that showed with his dry humor, she had grown fond of all of him. And then his kindness had turned toward her, and she was overcome. A memory she treasured in particular had been in the special hell of their sixth year. Harry had sought her out after she had fled from a particularly vigorous session of Ron and Lavender sucking each other's faces. He just sat with her and shared in her sorrow. She never forgot that.  
  
As the sun began to set, and shadows crept up the walls of Hogwarts, Hermione became aware of someone walking up next to her. A scent of worn leather, broomstick polish, and a deep sweetness, like a savory pastry filled her nose. The person next to her didn't say a word, just braced their hands on the railing next to her folded arms. The silence of the Astronomy Tower remained unbroken for several minutes as the sun shone gold, and the mountains grew shadows that crept farther and farther up the castle. That was the beauty of what they had, their silences held no awkwardness, only comfort and solace. 

"I'm glad we didn't stay and grow old." It was Hermione who broke the silence, but it was Harry who didn't let it resume.  
  
"Me too," he answered. "I barely remembered what the sun felt like at the time, but I knew it was there, somewhere behind the clouds."   
  
"Mmm," Hermione hummed in answer. Not asking for more, not thinking of a reply, but just letting him know that she knew what he meant. A thought crossed her mind.

"Did you need me for something?" she asked, curious what had brought him here. 

As the evening shadows began to cover the windows of the lowest floors, she waited in patient silence, and Harry seemed to take his time answering. She felt it when his eyes landed on her and looked over in turn. She saw the same tenderness in his eyes that never failed to set butterflies in her stomach. He just stood there, looking at her with that same soft gentleness she had started seeing more since the hunt, though there was a brightness to it now that had been there only since the battle ended. Ever since Voldemort's defeat, Harry seemed to sometimes glow with a profound sense of... well, peace. And not just the still kind of peace, like a dew covered morning or an afternoon in the rain, but also a full, energetic kind like a Christmas festival or a family gathering. She felt drawn to him when he was like this, which was becoming worryingly more often. Hermione was snapped out of her reverie when Harry next spoke.

"With all the romance in the air lately, I..." he paused, a blush dusting his cheeks, "I didn't want you to feel so alone." 

_Why did I say that?!?_ he thought furiously at himself, though he knew the answer. He had realized during their hunt that he actually loved Hermione Granger over anyone else. He had held it in at first because they had to focus on winning the war, and after it had been won, he kept it tamed it up to let her explore her new relationship with Ron. Even after they had broken up, he didn't want to sweep her up into a relationship with himself immediately after. He waited, secure in the knowledge that now he could actually afford to wait. 

Harry watched, transfixed, as Hermione bit her lip in an attempt to hide a smile and saw the blush that covered her own cheeks. Unable to wait any longer, Harry slowly reached over and took her hand in his. Both stood up straight as the setting sun slid closer behind the mountains. Taking her other hand, Harry turned the witch to face him, searching deep within himself for more of that courage he must've had to be sorted into Gryffindor. 

"I..." he stopped, huffing out a breath at the trouble he was having in finding the words to say, "I doubted that I would live past the war. I was almost ready to accept my death in the forest, but then something happened. Something small, but wonderful," he trailed off, remembering the quiet voice in the cold air.

"What happened?" Hermione prompted, not seeming to realize that she had moved closer to him, drawn as she was. Harry felt the words come flowing out of him as she drew closer.

"My best friend, the one who had stuck by me for years, had looked so sad and broken. I couldn't just let her wallow in misery, not when I could help. I put on the first song I could find and got her to dance with me. When she started to smile, I felt something shift inside me. I knew then that I would do anything to see that smile again. I didn't know then, but something else had happened that night as well..."

"What?" Hermione was closer now. Harry could see the golden light of the setting sun filling her irises, casting mesmerizing patterns amid the warm, earthy hues. 

"I began to see her differently. I always knew she was beautiful, but I had either never considered or never acknowledged that I wanted her as more than what we were. Days later, after almost getting ourselves killed, she suggested that maybe we could stay where we were and grow old together. I thought about that long after she said it. I realized, shortly after, that it had always been her by my side, and I never wanted anyone else to be closer to me than she was. I found out that day that I truly cared for her as more than a friend, and certainly more than a sister. But I didn't want to start something when I had a high chance of not seeing it through. She deserved so much more, so I waited. Until now."

"Now, what?" Their hands had shifted their grips, now holding one another by each of the forearms. Harry could feel her shallow breath fanning across his face, making his heart beat wildly within him and fill him with anticipation.

"Now, I can say that I have a future," he began, whispering into the narrow space between them. "Now, I don't have to save the world. Now, I can start planning for a happy, bright future. And now, I can tell Hermione Granger how much I love her. I only wonder..." He cupped her cheek, reveling at the soft skin that somehow remained unblemished despite the scars months before. He saw her eyes shimmer with tears and glow with joy and golden sunlight. "...if she feels the same." The last words were only just heard by her, but she could always guess the important things he wanted to say. 

She felt her eyes flutter, trying to blink the tears out of her eyes, as she took in the green of his own. That green was playing with the orange-gold cast by the sun, darkening parts of it and illuminating others in a hypnotic weave of one single color and all its shades and hues. The pull she always felt around him was so strong now. It took all she had to resist it long enough to whisper back two simple words before surrendering to its force.

"She does."

Their kiss was like nothing either of them had ever felt. It was somehow more than the starbursts behind closed eyelids or tingling nerves. There was a rush of something through them. This something cascaded like water throughout their bodies, filling every fiber with a sensation one could search the world over and find no words to describe. As their lips danced with instinct, Hermione felt this sensation flare in her. When she wrapped her arms around his neck and started threading her fingers through his hair, Harry swore that the feeling reached further into parts of him he'd never known could be reached. When breath became an issue, Hermione filled her nose with as much as she could manage, and the feeling redoubled in her along with the intimate smell of Harry. As Harry coiled an arm around her waist and used the other to press between her shoulders and draw her in closer, he felt this thing that filled him surge again and set him alight. Upon their tongues meeting in a new dance, the something washed over them within a renewed energy. When nothing they could do could intensify this feeling, they slowly parted. As the feeling, though calmer, continued to carve paths through their very beings, they opened their eyes. Taking in each other's faces in the orange light of a sun that was just beginning to slip behind the mountains, both Harry and Hermione felt wide smiles threaten to stretch their faces. 

"Now then, Miss Granger, I have an important proposition for you," Harry said to her, resting his forehead on hers.

"What might that be, Mister Potter?" she asked in between her giggles. 

"Would you like to accompany me on a date to Hogsmeade this weekend? And, should it meet with your approval, consider allowing me the honor of calling myself your boyfriend?" Harry couldn't bring himself to care how sappy he sounded right now, not after the wondrous kiss he just had. Hermione's own smile and bright laugh only served to enhance the euphoria he was feeling. 

"I'd like that very much. I accept your proposal, Harry," she sighed his name and pulled herself in for another kiss, this one much shorter but still filled with that inexplicable feeling. Parting once more, they pulled each other closer and watched the sun disappear behind the mountains to bring brightness and warmth to other parts of the world. When the sunlight next began for them, it would find them waking from nights filled with each other and the kiss they shared.


	2. Meet me where the truth never bends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully I finish this before the Harmony Discord finished watching the Half-Baked Plot. Here's some almost-mindless fluff to help you all recover from the torture.

**Hogwarts Library**

Hermione huffed out a breath in frustration. She and Harry had been studying in the library for the past few days as their NEWTS inched closer and closer. They had covered the core classes like Defense, Potions, and Charms and were making significant progress on Transfiguration. Harry had yet to join her today, as he was readying the Quidditch team for their final match. However, she thought that as soon as he got here, she'd have to drag him back to their shared common room for some mandatory relaxation if she had to study anymore of this drivel on Muggle Studies.

"Seriously, when was the last time any of these 'experts' went out into the muggle world for more than an hour?" she muttered to herself.

"I'd guess since the 20's if that book is anything to go by." 

Hermione whipped around to find Harry standing behind her, a soft smile on his face. On instinct, she leapt from her seat and hugged him. The Gryffindor seeker chuckled softly as he wrapped his arms around her. They stood like that for a time before eventually separating. 

"Good studying?" Harry asked cheekily. Hermione merely scoffed, her previous ire at the offending material redoubling. 

"If only. These are supposed to be NEWT level exams and the most any witch or wizard is expected to know is a simple list of muggle activities and a passing understanding of muggle devices, fashion, and culture. Honestly, if this is what is how we're expected to keep ourselves hidden from the muggle world, then I don't know if magic is just that potent or muggles are that imperceptive. Look at this," she exclaimed, pointing to a line in the open book before her, and proceeded to read a passage that sounded like a paper on physics written by a child in primary school. Harry watched as she scowled at the page, lacing the words with as much venom as she could. Her eyes narrowed when the author made particularly stupid remarks. She bit her lip to keep her voice down when they made unnecessary remarks and quips. And she flicked through the pages with far more force than she ever would with any other book. 

She was beautiful.

"'...ecially when muggles make use of their telephones to make inefficient communication with friends and family in other parts...' Harry, are you even listening?" her sharp tone snapped him out of his trance. Blinking, Harry flushed in embarrassment at having been caught. Hermione had raised an eyebrow at the faraway look her boyfriend wore on his face. 

"Um...sort of," he mumbled.

"Sort of?" Harry knew by that tone of voice that Hermione expected an explanation for his lapse in attention.

"You're pretty when you're like this. Different, but still beautiful," he added. Hermione flushed but beamed a wide smile at the raven-haired teen. 

"Thank you, Harry," came her reply. Harry returned her bright smile and moved to occupy the space next to her on the bench. As he pressed himself next to her, he took out the supplies he'd brought with him and arranged them so as not to interfere with Hermione's own set up. Feeling the weight of her head rest on his shoulder, he moved the open book in between them. Reading through the book and the guide that Hermione had prepared for them, his seeker eyes noticed a lot of the previous books had been scratched off the list, some several times. 

"Is the information really that bad?"

"You have no idea," she sighed. "We may as well not even take this exam, not with this drivel as the source material."

"Head Girl Hermione Granger advising a fellow student to not take an exam? Is the sun rising in the west tomorrow?" he teased. 

"Oh, hush you," she huffed out through a giggle, nudging his shoulder with her own. They shared a small chuckle before returning to reading the...well, it wasn't really a book, was it? It was barely thicker than Harry's little finger, and only just larger than the breadth of his hand. 

"This was on the recommended reading list?" he asked. Her answering scoff was all the confirmation he needed. Harry reached over and whipped the book shut, startling Hermione. He began packing both his and Hermione's things up as fast as possible before she could react.

"Harry, what _are_ you doing?" 

"Rescuing my girlfriend from filling her head with information she has _no_ need of," he answered simply as he slung his bag over his shoulder and took her hand in his own. Hermione stifled a giggle at the ridiculousness Harry was displaying, but deep down, she found it endearing. Nevermind the little flutter her heart did when he called her his girlfriend so casually. Hand in hand, the duo paced out of the library as Hermione let Harry lead them to their shared common room. She leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked. 

These simple moments had increased dramatically since that first kiss in the astronomy tower. Hermione often found herself a little bit scared at how easily it was to be this close to Harry, but it was a feeling she wouldn't trade for all the books in Hogwarts. What had this man done to her? Here she was, being willing led away from the library and studying. Her. The girl who was never without a book in all her time at Hogwarts, who had always favored the library in her free time, and who only stopped studying when she was out books to read. 

To be fair, it wouldn't be that hard to convince her to neglect studying for the Muggle Studies NEWT...

Her musings were cut short when she realized they had arrived at the entrance to their shared common room. Harry led her inside and, as soon as the door shut, pinned her to the wall and pressed his lips to her. Hermione's gasp was quickly replaced by a sigh as their lips tangled with each other. As soon as it began, Harry ended their kiss. Hermione fought back a small whine at the loss of affection but was still smiling.

"Hmm...consider me sufficiently rescued, Mr. Potter," she said in a low voice. Harry chuckled and led her over the the love seat by the fire and pulled her down next him. After a bit of arranging, Hermione found herself leaning into a one armed embrace from Harry as the pair started going over the little bits of _useful_ information she had gathered. The amount of time studying ended up being extremely brief compared to other NEWTS, and the head students were left idly sitting in the love seat and staring into the flickering fire. Thoughts flowed through Hermione's head like water, coming and going with no direction. She had just felt her eyes begin to drift shut when one thought in particular stayed longer than the rest. 

"Harry."

"Hmm?" She felt his body hum with his reply.

"Have you thought anymore about what will happen after we graduate?" The question hung in the air, waiting to be answered. 

"Not really," he answered. "All my life has been leading up to and fighting to make it through the prophecy. Now that it's over, I'm free to make my own decisions now. I can be happy with just that. Why?"

"No reason," Hermione muttered. She felt Harry cup her cheek and guide her to face him. Looking into those green eyes of his never failed to coax the truth from her.

"Tell me, Hermione." 

"I just...I don't know what I want to do anymore. After everything with the war, I've almost had enough of magic. I thought I wanted to pursue a career in the Ministry, but with everything that's happened, I don't think I'd make it through a week in there if I have to deal with the same wizards and witches who wrote those books on muggles." 

Harry smiled and let out a low laugh, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. 

"Then don't. You're Hermione Granger, one of the saviors of the world. Anything you do will leave an impact. Hell, write your own books about muggles and teach people the truth," he replied, a determined glint reflecting in the emerald of his eyes. Hermione smiled and nodded, she could do that. She could inform the Wizarding world about muggle life. "And I'll be right by your side as you do," Harry added. Hermione beamed at that, and leaned into another kiss. As long as Harry remained in her life, Hermione felt as though she could accomplish anything. In some small way, she was still scared at how much Harry had come to be involved in her life, but perhaps he felt the same way. Maybe that wasn't so bad after all. Maybe having someone next to you as you wandered through the uncertainties of life wasn't a thing to be scared about. 

Hermione wasn't sorted into Gryffindor for nothing.


	3. Bring all that you're scared to defend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of introspection in this chapter. Mild angst, but with a purpose.

**Heads' Common Room**

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_In light of your commendable service to the magical community and after careful consideration, I, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Acting Minister of Magic, do cordially invite you to enroll in the Auror Initiate Program. This program is required for all prospective Aurors to complete before being accepted into our ranks._

_To accept, please just sign your name where indicated and mail this invitation back at your earliest convenience._

~~_This invitation will be rescinded if not accepted within three months of reception._ ~~

The sentence about the deadline was crossed out and, written with a different ink and in a handwritten scrawl, Minister Shacklebolt had penned the following:

_I realize that you may still be recovering or grieving, so please just consider this an open invitation for you to accept whenever you feel able. It is the least I can do to thank you for all you've done for us. I give my word that there will always be a place for you among the Aurors._

The letter continued in the same pre-written font as before.

_Sincerely,_

_Kingsley Shacklebolt, Acting Minister of Magic_

Hermione read the letter once more, then looked to Harry, who hadn't removed his eyes from the fire since she had found him after returning from her classes. Indecision, confusion, and an ashamed hesitance were written in his expression. Her gut tightened at the look he had, and she realized what he was going through. 

"Oh, Harry," she sighed. Without a second thought, she slowly sat next to him and pulled his arm to her, interlocking her hand with his and laying her head on his shoulder. She felt his torso rise and fall with each breath he took. Her eyes also found the fire in the hearth and watched it emptily as her mind pondered over the thoughts going through her boyfriend's head. She could probably guess what he was thinking, but he needed to say it for himself. For now, Hermione would sit beside him in silence, willing him to open up to her and let her know all he was thinking and feeling. It had always been this way with them, and it likely always would be. 

She didn't know how much time had passed before Harry took a particularly deep inhale and exhale. Hermione knew to be ready to listen, so she waited patiently as Harry searched for the words.

"I don't know," he finally began. "Almost since I found out about magic, I've had to step up and protect others or save myself. And I've done so. I'm... good at fighting." His head fell forward into his free hand, the other tightening imperceptibly around Hermione's own, who still remained silent, waiting for what he had to say next. "This is the first time I can remember not feeling like I have to save someone..." His voice trailed off, fighting to get the next words out. "...and I like it. I like the peace, the slow days, the quiet. I like this, and I want more of it."

Hermione felt her heart clench at his words, trying to keep itself from breaking for the man beside her. She gripped his hand tighter and smoothed her other hand up and down his arm. Harry seemed to draw something from the gesture and after a beat of silence, continued to speak. 

"But then I think about Teddy. How he'll never know his father and mother. And I wonder, how many children like him might never know their parents if more dark wizards go unchallenged. How many more people will wind up like Neville, or me? I don't want that to happen to them, and I know I _can_ do something to save them. But..." Another pause came, as Harry struggled to say the words that Hermione knew he had never said to anyone. Words that he no doubt thought would damn him in the eyes of many.

"But, I don't know if I want to anymore."

Hermione felt tears threaten to fall from her eyes. She had seen this struggle play out before in him. A young boy, now a young man, who wanted nothing more than peace and love, yet also a young man who was willing to bear the weight and cruelty of the world on his shoulders if it meant giving others that which he most desired. She felt Harry lay his head on top of hers and waited for him to finish.

"This world has given me so much to love, you most of all." Hermione felt a mild heat in her cheeks and a small smile flash at the endearment. "The least I can do is make sure they get to keep as much of their peace as I can." Her smile faded. She knew where this was going.

"I owe it to them."

Hermione lifted her head out from under Harry's. Softly cupping his cheek, she turned his face to where she could stare into his eyes. She saw the guilt he felt for wanting a quiet peace, the longing for the departed, and the fear of all the horror he may have to witness. But she also the protectiveness, the determination to do the right thing, and the bright hope of maybe one day earning a rest reflecting in his irises. A battle she had seen him fight since the war ended, and one that she wouldn't let him fight alone forever.

"Listen to me, Harry," she said in a soft, yet paradoxically firm voice. "Listen to me very carefully."

"You don't owe anyone anything else. You lost your parents before you were two. You saved the school when no one else could. You stood up to bullies and tyrants, even letting them drag your name through the mud in the press because it was the right thing to do. You gave your _life_ to stop Voldemort. _Your life!_ " Hermione swallowed thickly at the image that flashed through her tearing eyes. An image of the man she had grown to love, with a depth she could never fathom, being cradled in the arms of their massive friend, his body limp and lifeless. "No one can say they gave more. If anything, it is they who owe you a debt. Don't!" she snapped at his attempt to rebut. Harry, conflicting emotions dancing across his face, reluctantly closed his mouth. 

"Harry, you've always been willing to give your life to protect others, and you've never asked for anything in return. I love you for that and so much more." Harry's eyes brightened at that, his lips ticking up ever so slightly. "If you truly want to join them, I won't stop you. I'll be worried sick every time you're on a mission, but I'll support your decision." They both shared a small chuckle at that, before Hermione let go of his hand to cup his other cheek. "But if you have any doubt about what you really want, then consider this: _I_ want you to be happy. _I_ want you to have a long life. _I want you to be safe._ " She choked out. Her tears, which had been threatening to fall for quite some time, had finally broken and were silently gliding down her cheeks. She closed her eyes, trying to hinder their flow, but a soft sob broke through her 

Two warm, gentle hands cupped her cheeks, just as she was doing. A gentle force pressed to her forehead, and she felt the tell-tale roughness of his finally-fading scar. Blinking through her tears, she saw Harry's welling in his eyes. Those eyes seemed to glow with such tenderness and love behind his glasses. Harry tipped her lips up and met them with his own in a chaste kiss. Pulling away slightly, the young wizard smiled brightly at the witch before him. 

"Thank you, Hermione," Harry began, his voice thick with emotion. You've been by my side through everything, and I don't know where I would be without you. These past few months, being a relatively average student, dating you, it's made be realize what so many people have. I want this to continue. I want to see where this goes. Kingsley can find other Aurors. I'm done fighting for a long time," Harry had barely managed to finish before Hermione surged forward, reclaiming his lips in an impassioned kiss. The energy of the kiss knocked Harry back onto the couch, Hermione following him while keeping their lips pressed together. The pair laughed through their kiss before redoubling their efforts. 

The invitation was quickly forgotten and went unanswered.


	4. And lay it down when you walk through my door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bad day for Hermione gets a little better...

**Somewhere in Hogwarts**

It had not been a good day for Hermione Granger. It certainly wasn't the worst day she'd ever had, but it had been far from the best. At the end of it all, she just wanted to retreat back to her bed and hope that the next day would be better. 

It had started when she had woken up. The haze of sleep left her in a flash when she didn't hear or sense any of her alarms go off. She must have forgotten to set the charms to wake her up in time for breakfast, as when she started out of bed, she realized that she only had precious few minutes to get dressed and head to class. In a flurry of magic and motion, the Head Girl made herself ready and all but flew to her first class of the day, arriving just in time and out of breath. The small relief she had felt was overshadowed by the flushing embarrassment of having the whole class stare at her. Tired and hungry, Hermione meekly made her way to her desk and slipped in next to Harry, who gave her a small smile and surreptitiously slid a folded napkin to her. With the crisis averted and a thoughtful gesture from her boyfriend, oh how referring to Harry that way never failed to make her heart flutter, Hermione hoped that this minor inconvenience would be the only one. 

She had been wrong.

Almost immediately after she had accepted the offered toast, the bushy-haired witch found that in her haste to make it on time to her class, she had left her ink and quill in her dorm. With a resigned and frustrated sigh, she turned to Harry and mimed writing with a quill. He had smiled and offered her a spare of his own and placed his inkwell between them. Of course, it meant that she would have to wait until lunch before she could rush up to her dorm and retrieve her supplies.She would just have to bear with the shame of having to bum materials from her classmates.

Her day didn’t get any better, though. In her very next class, after having asked Neville to share his inkwell with her, the boy had accidentally knocked it over and spilled ink onto the essay that she was just about to turn in. Though she had waved off his apology as kindly as she could, Hermione couldn’t help the spike in annoyance she felt. Thankfully, Professor Sprout had seen the little accident and had graciously told the Head Girl to just rewrite the assignment and turn it into her as soon as she could. The girl had smiled and thanked the professor, but inwardly, she was sure she would melt into the floor from embarrassment. It only got worse from there.

A quick trip to the lavatory in between classes revealed that the spilled ink had also splashed onto the sleeve of her shirt. Her quick spellwork had cleared it up in no time, but an exasperated groan left her when that same shirt had caught on a outcropping of stone and been left with a small tear. A Reparo had mended the damage, but the annoyance remained to gather with the rest. Lunch had given her a brief reprieve, with Harry keeping her calm and soothing her nerves. 

After successfully retrieving her writing supplies and putting a bit more effort to make herself more presentable, Hermione had thought the rough day would end with the morning, but her hopes were dashed when she found out in Arithmancy that Ernie MacMillan had gotten into a minor accident involving a remnant Weasley twin prank. With all other prefects on assignment that night, Hermione would be forced to cover his route. She had been looking forward to spending an evening with Harry, but her duties demanded that she ensure that curfew was enforced. Thankfully, Harry had understood and had volunteered to accompany her on her route.

And now here they were, patrolling the corridors of Hogwarts and ensuring that students remained in their dorms. Hermione was just about to finally let the exasperations of the day leave her when her foot snagged on a loose brick and sent her tumbling to the ground. Her cry or surprise quickly shifted to a groan for pain when she felt the ache in her ankle.

“Hermione, are you alright?” came Harry’s concerned voice. That had broken her dams.

“Does it look like I’m alright, Harry!?!” she snarled out. She made to stand up but her ankle gave a mighty twinge.

“Oh, this is just peachy,” she bit out. “A sprained ankle to end this day from hell.”

“Easy, love.” Harry knelt next to her, wand drawn. After a short Episkey, Hermione remained seated on the floor as her ankle was realigned. She would have stood up as soon as the spell had finished its work, but all energy had left her, to be overcome with all the frustration and annoyance that she had suffered throughout the day. She knew that she had been through worse than this, but right now she just couldn’t be bothered to hold back her frustration anymore. 

A few angry tears leaked from her eyes as she sat there, and Hermione hurriedly scrubbed them away. She was just about to stand when Harry scooped her up into his arms, carrying her like a bride. 

“Come on, we’ve basically finished our patrol, and you’ve been having a bad day.” His voice brokered no argument, and Hermione sighed tiredly as he carried her back to their common room.   
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she tucked her head into the crook of his neck and breathed in his scent, relishing in it as she finally, _finally,_ felt her tension melt away. Feeling a soft kiss being placed in her hair, Hermione let out a contented sigh. How did she get so lucky to have fallen for someone such as Harry _and_ have her feelings reciprocated? 

Managing to avoid any other souls on the way back, the couple finally arrived at the Heads' Common Room. It was smaller than most common rooms, and was set in such an area as to be relatively centered between the common rooms of the other four. Enough difference in location to bring the any Head Boy or Head Girl outside of their comfort zone but still close enough to their House to be alleviate any feelings of isolation. It also afforded the head students with an area for prefect meetings to be held. Passing through the study lounge and entering the common room proper, Harry gently lay Hermione on the couch before the fireplace, startling her from the beginnings of sleep. 

"Hmm...Harry?" she mumbled, blinking open a pair of tired eyes.

"I'm right here," spoke the raven haired teen. He gently extricated his arms from underneath the drowsy witch and set himself down in front of her, propped up on the table behind him. "Do you want to tell me what qualified this as a day from hell?"

Hermione sighed and closed her eyes once more, shaking her head and stifling a yawn. 

"It was nothing," she said through her yawn. "Just a lot of minor annoyances and small mishaps."

"Hmm," came Harry's acknowledgement. "I'd wager that, piled up over a day, anyone would call it a bad day," he commented.

Hermione could only nod, not feeling the need to voice her thoughts. The witch sighed in contentment as her boyfriend set a gentle hand to cup her cheek; his thumb rubbed slow, soothing circles beneath her eye. Opening her eyes, she smiled at the fond quirk of his lips and the tenderness in his eyes. They stared at one another for several moments, just taking in the sight of the person that held their hearts. A quiet peace had settled over them. Hermione was almost disappointed when Harry made to stand, but the sigh of longing morphed into a sigh of contentment as he gently kissed her. Slow, languishing, Harry conveyed all the affection and love he felt for her through his kiss. Hermione lay beneath him, as a flower beneath a golden sun, taking in as much of his affection as he could give. 

But sleep still lured her mind to fog and haze. What might have evolved into another passionate snog by the fire dimmed into a gentle press of lips. It then faded away, as the man she had grown to love pulled back to gaze upon her once again. 

"I should get ready for bed," spoke her boyfriend. Hermione nodded and made to sit up, aided by Harry. Trudging to where the doors to their rooms stood apart, the two students stood at the small space of wall between them and turned to face each other. Neither wanted to leave the other's side, but the promise of a soft bed and waking up without sore muscles called to both of them. 

"Goodnight, Hermione."

"Goodnight, Harry." Rising on her toes, she met him in the middle for a long farewell kiss. 

As she fell asleep that night, surrounded by cool sheets and soft pillows, Hermione would remember one last thought passing through her mind before all was lost beneath the veil of dreams.

_Today hadn't been so_ _bad._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took a bit longer to make, as I couldn't get the words to flow the way I wanted them to. Thankfully, my block sorted itself out. Sorry to make you all wait so long, but that's the way of things I suppose.


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